Any deviation from constitutional principles and provisions will weaken the democratic fabric of the country and jeopardise the well-being of citizens, President Pranab Mukherjee warned on Wednesday.
Every Indian, he argued, looked to the Constitution as the guarantor of liberties, freedom and equality. The Governors had the primary responsibility to ensure that constitutional provisions were followed.
The President’s remarks come in the wake of the release of an advertisement by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, in which the words ‘socialist’ and ‘secular’ were omitted from the Preamble to the Constitution.
Addressing the 46th conference of Governors, Mr. Mukherjee said efforts must be made to ensure that peace and communal harmony prevailed. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior ministers were present.
Ethnic violence in Assam had to be countered effectively, especially the sinister motives to drive a wedge between the Bodos and the non-Bodos, he said.
India, he pointed out, would have the largest workforce in the world by 2025, with a surplus of 47 million workers as against a global shortage of 56.5 million workers. “This demographic dividend is a double-edged sword. If their huge potential is tapped, they could become a powerful engine for growth. On the other hand, if we fail to do so, it could create social tension,” an official statement quoted the President as saying.
